Steel waler and clamping means



March '17, 1953 c. WILLIAMS 2,631,352

STEEL WALER AND CLAMPING MEANS Filed Sept. 8, 1950 2 snEETs-sHEET 1 March 17, 1953 c. 1. WILLIAMS 2,631,352

STEEL WALER AND CLAMPING MEANS Filed Sept. 8, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Patented Mar. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE STEEL WALER AND CLAMPING MEANS Chester I. Williams, Grand Rapids, Mich. Application September 8, 1950, Serial-No. 183,736

13 Claims.

' My invention relates to clamping and locking devices for concrete construction forms, and has among its objects the production of a simple and durable construction which willhave a long life, and is adaptable for repeated uses.

The same has particularly as an object a form clamping device of great strength. and rigidity, compact and usable with or without the studding generally used in form constructions.

The same has among its further objects a clamping device which may be readily and conveniently applied or removed.

A further object is a form. clamping device of the kind described in which steel or like channel walers are used, preferably in pairs, as shown.

Another object is the productionv of a construction in which the walers may be conveniently and readily locked together on the form, and maintained in engagement, with tie or form rods and form walls without the use of; nuts, or like fastening members. 1

A further object. is the production: of a form clamping device in which the tie, rods may be secured directly to the walers, maintaining the walers in secure assembly with; the. form sheathing and with. one or more: studdingmembers, or without the studding.

Many otherobiects. and-.advantagesnof the constructions herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein given.

To this end my invention. consists in the novel construction, arrangement; and combination of parts herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts:

Fig. 1 is a sectionalview through. one side of a form takenv substantially on. line l'..l of Fig. 2, and illustrating the use of a single studding;

Fig. 2 is, a. sectionalview; taken. substantially on line. -2 f; Fi 1.;

F g. 3 s. a sectionalviewv similar to Fig. 1,.illustrating the omission;v of studding, taken substan-. ally on inlet- 3. of F I;

Fig. 4 is a sectionallviewz taken substantially on line 4-4 oi Fig.3

Fig. 5 is a view similarto Fig. i illustrating a modified form of means for securing the walers together, the same being taken substantially on the line 5-..5 of Fig. 6.;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 66 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a view in elevation of a locking device shown in Figs. 5 and fi.

Referring to the drawings, and first to Figs. 1 and 2, in which only one sideof the form is shown, it being understood, however, thatwhile the opposite side isordinarily the same as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it may be modified without departing from the spirit. of; the invention, I represents sheathing, ordinarily of plywood boards, sheet metal, or their equivalents. A stud 2 is shown bearingagainst the sheathing, it also being understood that the studs may' be in pairs. The walers are each preferably-in two parts or pairs, such as steel channel'shaving side flanges 4 arranged with the free edges of the flanges extending toward eachother, but with a space between. There is also shown a form tie rod 5 engaged by a tie rod extension 6, as for example, a screw threaded engagement. type of tie rod or extension and connecting means maybe employed. The rod 6 extends through the sheathing I at each side and at the exterior of the form, and in between the walers 3. In the construction illustrated; the rod 6 is notched at each side, as indicated at I, the flanges 4 of the two walers engaging inthe notches, the waler, as shown in Fig. 2' bearing against the studding 2. To look the walers, 3 together, as well as to lock the. form sheathing, tie rods andstudding to the walers, alocking member 8 is provided adapted to. engage the faces of the channeled walers. The particular locking member 8 shown, is flanged at: 9 and. aperturedto permit the rod 6 to pass therethrough. The member 8 is shown locked on the tie rod 6 by means of a nail It, or any equivalent for. the purpose. The tie rods thus rigidly tie the two sides of the form together, and maintain the walers in engagement with the studdingZ.

The construction in Figs; 3 and 4 is similar except that, as. shown, the'walers 3 bear directly againstthe sheathing I, the'studding being omitted. Insome construction jobs it may be desirable to employ the studdi-ng, but in other jobs, the studding may be omitted and the walers maintained against'the-out'er face of the sheathing. Obviously, studding' may be employed at both sides of the form, as shown in Fig. 1, or without studding, as shown in Figs; 3 and 4, or with one side of the form arranged as shown in Fig. l withstudding, and the other side of the g rmgmaintained without studding, as shown in In the construction shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the locking member G, shown in Figs. 1 to 4,, is not employed, butin this case the walers, 3 are maintained inassembled-relation by bolts II, or

their equivalents, connecting the channels 3. The bolts I I are rigidly secured to one of the members 3 by nuts I2, it being obvious the same may be secured in any equivalent manner. Referring to the figures, a cam lever I3 is provided with a bifurcated end hi embracing the end II of the bolt II, the lever I3 and bolt II being secured together by means or rivets I 5, or their equivalents. As shown in Fig. 7, the lever I3 is so designed that the cam I4 maintains the waler members or channels 3 firmly together, with the flanges 4 engaging in the notches "I of the rod 6, securely locking the tie rods and form parts together. To release the same, the levers I 3 are swung to move the cams away from the adjacent member 3, whereby the waler members 3 may be separated sufiiciently to release the'rods 6, permitting the removal of the rods 6 from the form and permitting the walers to be employed again on a form.

As in the constructions previously described, the studs may be employed or omitted, as desired, at one or both sides of the form. The construction shown in Figs. 5, 6 and '7 has an advantage over that shown in Figs. 1 to 4 in which figures the locking member 8 is employed, in that the walers and clamping means provide a unitary structure, it being unnecessary to remove the bolts and levers I3 when applying or removing the walers from the form.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A waler for construction forms consisting of two metal channel members spaced from each other and arranged with the free edges of the flanges on one waler member adjacent similar flanges on the adjacent waler member, a tie rod extending between'the waler members and engaging therewith, means formed on the tie rod complemental to the flanges to receive the flanges of the oppositely arranged waler members, and means for clamping the channel members together with the rod disposed therebetween and in engagement with the flanges of said waler members.

2. A construction form consisting of sheathing and two metal channel members constituting walers spaced from each other and arranged with the free edges of the flanges on one waler member adjacent similar flanges on the adjacent waler member, a tie rod extending between the waler members and engaging therewith, notched means formed on the tie rod complemental to the flanges to receive the flanges of the oppositely arranged waler members, and means for clamping channel members together with the notched means of the tie rod disposed therebetween and in engagement with the flanges of said waler members.

3. In a construction form and in combination, two metal waler channel members spaced from each other and arranged with the free edges of the flanges on one member adjacent similar flanges on the adjacent member, a tie rod extending between the channel members and engaging with the flanges thereof, oppositely formed notches formed on the tie rod to receive the flanges of the channel members, and means for 4 securing the said channel members together with the rod disposed therebetween and the flanges of the channel members contiguous to each other.

4. In a construction form, securing and spacing means consisting of tie rods and walers, each waler consisting of two channel members arranged with the flanges at their side edges in opposed relation but spaced from each other, the rods comprising means complementally formed to the flanges to receive and to engage adjacent their outer ends with said flanges, and means for securing the rods and walers together at the exterior of the forms.

5. A construction-form, securing means consisting of tie rods and walers, each waler consisting of two channel members arranged with the flanges at their side edges in opposed relation but spaced from each other, the rods comprising means compleinentally formed to the flanges to receive and to engage adjacent their outer ends with said flanges, and means for detachably and rigidly securing the rods and walers together at the exterior of the forms.

6. In a construction form having suitable sheathing, means consisting of waler rods and walers for securing the sheathing at the sides of the form together, each waler consisting of two channel shaped members arranged with the flanges at their side edges in opposed spaced relation, the rods comprising notched means-adjacent their outer ends and complementally formed to engage with said side flanges of said channel shaped members, and means for securing the walers and rods together at the exterior of the forms. I

7. In a construction form, and in combination,

spaced sheathing members, walers at each side of the form at the exterior of the sheathing, and tie rods extending across the form to the walers, the walers at a side of the form consisting of channel shaped bars arranged in pairs, with the flanges at the sides of one bar extending toward the flanges on the other bar, said tie rods extending between the walers, said rods notched to receive and to engage the flanges on the oppositely arranged channels, and means for securing the waler members and tie rods together. 8. In a construction form, and in combination, spaced sheathing members, walers at each side of the form at the exterior of the sheathing, and tie rods extending across theform and connecting the walers, the walers each consisting of channel shaped bars arranged in pairs, with the flanges at the sides of one bar extending toward the flanges onthe other bar, said tie rods extending between the walers at each side of the form, comprising notched means complementally formed to receive and engage the flanges of the channel-shaped bars, and means for locking the waler members and tie rods together.

9. In a construction form, and in combination, spaced sheathing members, studding and walers at each side of the form at the exterior of the form engaging with the studding, and tie rods extending across the form to the walers at each side of the form, the walers each consisting of channel shaped metal bars arranged in pairs, with the flanges at the sides of one bar extending toward the flanges on the other bar, notched tie rods extending between the walers and engaging at the notches with said flanges thereon, and means for locking the waler members and tie rods together.

10. The combination of a two part waler, a tie rod comprising axially spaced notchescontiguous to the outer end and extending between the two waler parts and directly engaging the same at the spaced notches, and means for locking the waler parts and rod together in assembled relation.

11. The combination with a waler for construction forms, said waler comprising oppositely arranged channel-shaped members with the flanges spaced from each other, of a form tie rod adapted to extend between and adapted to be engaged by said flanges, said tie rod comprising means complementally formed to the flanges to prevent axial movement of said tie rod when the flanges engage the tie rod, and clamping means operatively connected to the bases of said channelshaped members for clamping the channel members together with the form tie rod clamped and disposed therebetween.

12. A waler construction for construction forms including a form tie rod comprising axially spaced grooves contiguous to the outer end thereof, said waler construction comprising oppositely arranged channel-shaped members with the flanges opposed and spaced apart to receive the form tie rod, and clamping means including a transverse member afiixed to the base of one of the channelshaped members and adapted to extend through the base of the other channel-shaped member, and. operator-operated means comprising cam means operatively mounted on said transverse member and adapted to abut the base of the lastmentioned channel-shaped member, whereby as the clamping means is actuated with a tie rod arranged between the channel-shaped members with the spaced grooves in juxtaposition to said flanges, the channel-shaped members are adapted to be detachably aflixed to the form tie rod.

13. A waler construction for construction forms including a form tie rod comprising axially spaced grooves contiguous to the outer end thereof, said waler construction comprising oppositely arranged channel-shaped members with the flanges opposed and spaced apart to receive the form tie rod, and clamping means comprising a U-shaped member adapted to be detachably connected to the form tie rod, and said U-shaped member adapted to extend about and abut the bases of the channel-shaped members with the flanges thereof operatively engaging said complemental- 1y formed grooves, and securing means operatively connected to the tie rod and adapted to operatively engage said U-shaped member, whereby the channel-shaped members, tie rod and U- shaped member are detachably afiixed.

CHESTER I. WILLIAMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,694,037 Kuert Dec. 4, 1928 1,990,234 Kemper Feb. 5, 1935 2,001,052 Colt May 14, 1935 2,049,916 Lingle Aug. 4, 1936 2,164,592 Pilj July 4, 1939 

